Mass Effect 3 demo: Played!

I mentioned to E last night that I hadn't actually played the demo yet, and he suggested I get on that and he'd be happy to watch. So I played the demo while giving full commentary, and he went to sleep rested his eyes, occasionally sitting up to say things like "I thought kids couldn't die in video games?"* and "Nice one," and, in a very, very small voice, "oh."

(That last was when I said "Huh, let's try this!" and charged the Atlas.)

( Here there be spoilers. Yarr. )

Non-spoilery reactions:

1.
When the Normandy swooped down:
E: "Is that your ship?"
S: "Yes! That's my beautiful ship! AND MY PILOT."
E: "I know. I only asked so you could say that and be all proud."

2.
Just as I was thinking "Did Shep's butt get bigger?" Erik said "HEY! She has your ass!"

I'll see what I can do about screenshots this evening or tomorrow.

*Nope. Players can't kill kids! Only devs can kill kids!

I'm a mammal! You're a mammal! Whales are mammals, too!

Towards the end of January I went up to Vancouver to visit my friend B. She was busy Friday, so on a whim I spent pretty much the whole day hanging out at the Vancouver Aquarium with my sketchbook*. My much-belated new year's card is going to be a beluga, so I spent most of the time with them.



When I was a kid we lived in Tacoma, and the three belugas were my absolutely favorite thing at the Point Defiance Zoo. In retrospect I guess we spent quite a lot of time at the zoo; at least, that would help explain why there are so many things about animals I assume are common knowledge but are totoally new information to others**.

The first "C'mon people, really?" moment was while I was drawing in the under-water viewing area. A whale relieved itself; cue the entire room going "Ewwww!" Kids of a certain age'd be one thing, but even the adults were saying "Wow, it lives in that water! That's gross! It could, like, drink it!"

With great self control, I did not throw my pencil to the ground, leap on the bench, and shout "What'd you expect it to do, hop out, grab a towel, and use the pool-side potty? IT'S A FUCKING WHALE."

Never let anyone tell you that I have poor self control. I have excellent self control -- and I am using it all.

After a break for some salty poutine because it's not just a crappy zoo food stand; it's a crappy zoo food stand in Canada!, I watched the seals for awhile and then checked out the rehab tank. There was an awesome Harbor Porpoise there who'd been stranded, and she really like to bounce around right in front of the viewing glass, so I hung out sketchin' for quite awhile. Long enough to see a lot of people walk straight past the "This is a porpoise!" sign and say "Honey, look at the dolphin!"

Okay, I told my inner pedant, they're closely related. You may correct them nicely if they are children, otherwise, sit and play nicely with your sketchbook. So far, so good.

Then a biggish group of adults came into the room, talking loudly. Wonder of wonders, someone read the sign that said 'porpoise!' The inner pedant heaved a sigh of relief at this proof that the entire world was not illiterate. Poor inner pedant; it had no idea how disappointed it would soon be: a woman asked, reasonably, what the difference was between a porpoise and a dolphin, and a guy in the middle of the group loudly started explaining that "Well, dolphins are mammals, like whales, but, uh... porpoises are fish."

The inner pedant was stunned into silence -- but not so the porpoise! She valiantly swam back and forth in front of the ignorant humans. She rolled, as if to say "See my blowhole? This is where I breathe the AIR!" Up for more air, then back for "Here is my belly! You can see the slit for GIVING BIRTH TO LIVE YOUNG."

Head. Meet desk your sketchbook, on the cold unforgiving bench of the Vancouver Aquarium.

*And then I walked back from Stanley park all the way to waterfront station. Oof. The lovely evening view of Canada Place made watching said landmark get destroyed by Reapers in the ME3 demo even more exciting, though.

**When I was seven that Baby Beluga song drove me nuts. Stupid Rafi -- doesn't he know baby belugas are GRAY, not white? C'mon!